Wedding planning is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times in a couple’s life. While this fun time can be filled with dress shopping, cake tastings, venue visits, and more, it is additionally filled with an excessive amount of spending. According to an article on TheHuffingtonPost.com, the average wedding costs in 2015 has hit an all time high of $31,213 (Borresen, K.)! This cost went up $2,000 more dollars than the average cost of weddings in 2013. In order to make the most of your money and save as much as you can on your wedding, here are 10 cost saving wedding tips one can and should take into consideration!
- Hire a wedding planner! This is surely the most important and effective tip we can give you. A wedding planner has a network of the best vendors, can help regulate the planning process, negotiate costs and of course relieve any stress that you may have. She/he will be there for you from the beginning to the end and will do everything possible to make your wedding day perfect for you!
- Be strategic with the amount of time you give yourself during your engagement. If you are afraid you may spend too much money on your wedding, make your wedding day sooner than later so you will be forced to focus on only purchasing the necessities in the time you have. On the other hand if you do not think you will overspend it would be wise to give yourself more time to plan; this will allow you to be able to take advantage of all the seasonal sales for decorations, clothes, and more.
- Book your wedding during an off peak time. If you have your wedding during “wedding season” you are sure to pay a great deal of money on the venue. In order to save money consider having your wedding in November or between January and March, with the exception of Valentines Day. Those times are considered “off peak” and are significantly lower in costs. Also, Saturday is the most popular wedding day so if you want to save even more, book your wedding for another day and watch your fees drop!
- Email your save the dates and keep your guest list to a minimum. This is a small efficient way to save a little money and prevent you from having to pay for printed invites and stamps! The other part of this tip is to keep your guest list to a minimum. We say this because the more people you invite the more people there are to feed. Reception food can be very expensive and if you invite every single person you know, your catering costs will be very high.
- Speaking of receptions, have a selective menu! If you serve a variety of appetizers and smaller sides you will significantly save money, as opposed to serving a full three-course meal. In addition offer beers and wines with a few signature cocktails instead of an open bar. Bruch receptions are becoming very popular too!
- Order a small cake and have a sheet cake in the back for serving. Did you know that a lot of the huge wedding cakes are not 100% edible? A trend now a day is to have artificial layers that are just for decoration, and only the top tier or the bottom tear be edible. Have a sheet cake in the back or added cupcakes for the guests to eat in order to save money.
- Take advantage of the talents of your friends and family. A wedding that includes help from the ones you love most will be even more enjoyable for you. Plus, you’d be surprised what hidden talents people might have. If your sister knows how to dance, have her choreograph the reception entrance instead of a paid professional. If your maid of honor is crafty, let her create DIY centerpieces instead of the wedding planner. If your uncle is a baker, why not let him create the vision of your wedding cake! All of these things will be a great way to save money and an even greater way to include your entire family in the planning of this special day!
- Consider using artificial flowers for decoration. Everyone knows how beautiful a bouquet of color-coordinated flowers is in a wedding centerpiece or in the bride’s hand. However flowers are not cheap and there are artificial ones that are just as beautiful that you can use.
- Rent the outfits for your bridal party. The dresses and tuxes you use for the bridesmaids and groomsmen can be rented out instead of purchased. This will surely save you money, just be sure everyone’s outfit fits perfectly. And don’t forget to return them on their due date!
- Have everything in one spot! If you have your wedding and reception all in one place, this will cut down on the costs you have to pay your vendors to travel and it will also be a lot more convenient for all of your guests.
Wedding planning is not meant to be a stressful time, or a time that will hurt your pockets too much. If you start saving well in advance and keep all of these cost saving tips in mind, your process will be much easier! Check out TheKnot.com for even more cost effective tips and click here for a budgeting lesson: https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-budget-ways-to-save-money.
Happy Wedding Planning from everyone here at Devoted to Your Event!
(Cite for wedding cost statistics)
Borresen, K. (2015, March 13). Average Wedding Cost Hits All-Time High Of More
Than $31,000, Survey Says. The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 26, 2015,
from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/13/average-cost-of-wedding-2014_n_6864860.html
Article Written by:
Amber Bentley
Social Media Manager/Event Assistant
Devoted to Your Event, LLC